Foreign student who sold bank account used in fake SAF bulk orders gets 3.5 months’ jail; S’poreans say mastermind should be next

SINGAPORE: A 22-year-old Sri Lankan student in Singapore who sold her bank account details that were used in a recent fake bulk order scam was given a three-month and two-week jail sentence on Wednesday (Oct 1). She was also fined the amount of S$1,100.

The account of Rajadi Rajasinghe Manamendra Patabadilage Vishwa Madavi, which she sold for S$1,100, was used in channelling S$18,000 in proceeds from such a fake Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) bulk order scam, according to a CNA report.

Reports say that Rajadi had been in need of money at the time she sold her account details and that she was unaware of what the account would be used for.

The Sri Lankan national entered a guilty plea to count under the Computer Misuse Act of abetting an unknown person when she gave them her account details for an illegal purpose.

CNA added that this is the first time that some details concerning the SAF bulk order scams have been made public, as well as the first sentencing of someone connected to the scams.

Last month, some friends told Rajadi about a person, also allegedly from Sri Lanka, who would buy her bank account details. Since this would help alleviate some of her financial troubles, she reached out to the man and sold her DBS account details to him.

Over S$30,000 was then deposited into her account, and later taken out of it, including S$16,000 from a Singaporean who owns Karu’s Indian Banana Leaf Restaurant, who had been victimised by one of the fake bulk order scams.

Additionally, an amount of S$1,980 that also went through Rajadi’s account came from a woman who had been victimised when she received a request via WhatsApp for help from someone who posed as her cousin

Of the sum that went through Rajadi’s bank account, another S$1,980 was from a 48-year-old female victim who had received a WhatsApp message asking for a loan from a person posing as her cousin.

On Sept 4, Rajadi’s account was frozen, and she was arrested on Sept 15.

The Sri Lankan student expressed remorse in court.

“I ran into financial difficulties. My mother was a heart patient and she was unable to send me money… Your honour, I came here to study. I have disappointed my mother. Please give me a chance,” CNA quoted her as saying.

Netizens commenting on her sentencing expressed approval that someone had been caught, although some said that the “big fish” behind the scam should be next and that the kingpin should not walk away free.

“Must catch the mastermind/ringleader instead of just the easy mules! Catch the snake head,” one wrote.

“Just catch them all!!” added another, while some wrote that they look forward to more arrests and jail sentences to come. /TISG

Read related: Fake soldiers, real scams: Mindef warns public about fraudulent SAF orders